Freedom of the Spirit
by AnswerFourTwo
Summary: Yami has had his own body for a few years now, and the relationship between him and Yugi has changed slightly. Will they come to accept their feelings for each other, or will they be to scared and chase each other away? Rated M for later chapters. YamixYugi.
1. Chapter 1

**Freedom of the Spirit**

Warning: Boys love, don't like, don't read.

Pairing: YugixYami, I guess it's what's called "puzzleshipping" but there's no ship in the puzzle.

Rated M for later chapters

I wrote this story because writing makes me relax. Especially in English, even though it's not my first language. I therefore apologize in advance for mistakes. I try my best to make it work.

 _\- Chapter 1 -_

The Spirit of the Millennium Puzzle. He's always been right by my side, and after all those years, even though I have already nearly lost him many times, he's still there. But now he's not just a spirit anymore. After our final duel, he was supposed to go back to the spirit world, but instead he forced himself to stay in this world and earned himself a body, and also his mortality. Luckily, Grandpa was very accepting of him and offered him a room at our home immediately. He's been living with us ever since and I can tell he is somewhat struggling with the modern age, yet he's chosen this life for himself. For what reason I still don't know, but I'd be lying if I'd say I wasn't happy he's still here with me.

I had grown so accustomed to the Spirit of the Puzzle to be the one I talked to during hard times, but I had also grown accustomed to the fact that he had always retreated back into the deepest and darkest chambers of his puzzle once he was no longer "needed". Only now that he has his own body do I understand why. He appears to take a lot of time deep in thought. And it's at those times that he seems unreachable, but I know he will answer me. However, he never tells me exactly what he's thinking about. Sometimes I wonder if he regrets his decision and this scares me. Better not think about it too much or I'll become insecure.

I took a deep breath and sighed. I guess I still can't believe it. Even as I look at him now, his existence seems almost unreal to me as he is sitting in my windowsill with his head turned towards the window, and the moonlight giving his skin an eerie glow. He looks just like a spirit, which he was and will maybe be once more after this life.

As always, he's wearing that white linen shirt at night. I guess he feels most comfortable in it because his past self was so accustomed to wear this type of clothing. Maybe he is thinking about his past, after all, an existence so long must have gather more memories than I could ever imagine. As with most people, their earliest memories are treasured, no matter how bad they are. And in my view, Yami has taken a few tokens of his past, like Egyptian inspired jewellery, the souvenir like statues of sphinxes and pyramids he keeps in his room, and of course his shirt.

I can't deny that he looks handsome in those clothes. Even though it's a bit loose on him, it doesn't hide his broad shoulders and strong, slim arms… Shit, my heart is starting to pick up speed again. At these times, I'm really glad we are not connected by our minds anymore, because he would have known my true feelings for him.

"Are you alright, Yugi?" Suddenly, he's looking at me, piercing right through me with those sharp almond eyes. I feel as though I can keep no secret from him, but I know I'm able to now. I have to.

"Yeah." I replied. He caught me off guard. "What are you thinking about?" I asked, trying to sound casual and wishing my earlier thoughts away.

"I'm just looking at the stars." He said, turning his head back to the window.

What an answer. Of course he is. I can tell from just looking.

"That's all?" I asked, trying to get him to tell me more.

"Hmm…" He stayed completely still, his eyes fixed on the street below now. "I'm also thinking… that I like this."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I like the soft light and tonight is so clear and tranquil." There is a small smile on his lips. He is truly calm right now.

"I know what you mean." I replied as I got up from my chair. And as soon as I said that, he was back into his own mind.

I switched off the lamp on my desk and lay flat on my bed staring at the shadows on the ceiling, cast by the moonlight – the only light – coming into my room.

"At times like this I really miss the desert at night." He said after ten minutes out of the blue. "I never missed it when I lost my memory. Sometimes I wonder if it was better to never know."

It must be painful. I wanted to say that I'm sorry, I wanted to take his pain away, but I had no idea how to. But I could always try.

"You'd still be wondering about your past if you didn't know." I respond. "It's never bad to know your past, besides the things you can miss, you also know what calms you the most, what stands closest to your heart, your home."

"You have a point there." He said, smiling again.

"But I know that remembering makes you desire things that have long past. We can visit Egypt together sometime if you want. Even though it's not exactly the same, I think it would do you good."

"Maybe you're right, little Yugi."

" _Little Yugi_ …" I echo softly. It wasn't meant to be answered, but he answered anyway with a solid:

"Yes."

I sigh. I guess that name will never change.

"I think about the past too sometimes." I said. "Sometimes I think back and miss the connection we had, then I would understand better how you feel." Crap, as soon as I said it, I start blushing and I'm very glad it's too dark to distinguish colours. I was being way too honest.

"Hmmm. Maybe we still have it." He stood up from the windowsill and walked over to me, placing one hand on the side of my bed. Then he started bending over.

"H-huh?" My eyes went wide with shock. What's happening?

"Let me check." He said as he closed the distance.

I could feel his forehead touching mine and his breath touching my skin. My heart was hammering in my chest with his face so close to mine. My hands started to tremble. The moment seemed to last for ages.

"A-and?" _Stop stuttering!_ I told myself. "Anything?"

"… Your skin is hot." Yami said a bit too seriously, and I'm not sure if it was truly funny or if it were the nerves but I laughed at the remark.

"Hahaha. I'm glad we still have it then." I said, glad that the laughter brought me some relief.

As I laughed, he removed his head from mine and sat up straight, looking at me with a solemn expression. I couldn't make out his thoughts, but it felt as though my laughs were inappropriate and it made me stop laughing immediately. The trembling did not stop and it was getting harder to breath as we looked at each other.

"You're not sick are you?" He said.

"No, why ask?" I said more than asked.

"You're trembling." He said, taking one of my hands into his own. The touch was gentle but it felt like an electric jolt went through my body nevertheless. I clenched my other hand into a fist in a desperate attempt to get more control over my body.

"Oh." I said, immediately regretting the stupid answer. "Right."

He didn't respond, but at that moment it was as though I could hear his question anyway: _Why then_?

"Maybe I'm just a bit tired." I lied. I was wide awake. How could I not be?

"I see." He said, slanting his eyes. "Sometimes I too wish we still shared the connection of our minds." He knew I was lying, but I had no idea what to do about it. I just lay there, trying to control my breath and hands while he held on to me. We stayed like that for a brief moment.

"We should get some sleep. It's getting late." He said as he looked away. He squeezed my hand shortly before letting go entirely. "Good night." He stood up and headed for the door.

"Good night." I said softly. He nodded and closed the door behind him.

As soon as he left, I held my hand like it was a precious gift I got from him. I felt I was still trembling, and even more so than I initially thought. Maybe it was those slender fingers that had squeezed my hand not moments ago. No, it was everything. Everything about him makes me feel this way.

I wanted him so badly, but what should I do? If I tell him my feelings, he might feel obliged to leave my side. He might distance himself. I may lose him altogether. I know I have to give up, but it just feels impossible.

* * *

When I got back in my room, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, placing a hand on my forehead to comfort myself, to let my guard down for a moment. I'm very bad at controlling my actions, and even if I was capable to do so, I would probably still choose not to. The memory of these kinds of desires is faint, but it feels so sweet to have them once more. I feel that even though I might not be a man of purest action, my feelings are so beautiful that I could cry. Because I am human.

I knew it was because I felt something I had lost long ago, something I thought I would never feel again. The luck I have received by being granted another life seems almost to good to be true. Compared to all those years of silence, these few years of existence are worth more to me more than a thousand years of living.

At first, the only reason I ever chose to stay in this world was because of Yugi. But now I understood the deeper meaning of my choice. I just couldn't bare to live for eternity, especially not after making friends, after having felt through Yugi what it was to live once again. When I met Yugi, I understood how much I wanted to have human contact again. When I was supposed to go back to the spirit world, I realized how much pain I went through the first time I was trapped into my millennium puzzle. Even though it would not be exactly the same all over again, the idea of another eternity spend without the beauty I had so briefly witnessed again filled me with so much fear that it broke me. I started to cry in front of Osiris, and as I looked up, I saw that he was the type of God decided by the eye of the beholder. He stood there that time not as God of the underworld, but as the God of rebirth, the God of hope. And this was the solemn act of mercy I knew I needed to save my soul. And I think Osiris knew that too.

When I told Yugi about it, he told me what he thought had happened by an analogy and it made a lot of sense to me back then and it still does now: "During war times, soldiers would keep common people as prisoners to make them spill secrets about other peoples plans or whereabouts. A lot of these people were strong, and would not spill their secrets so easily. They didn't want to betray anyone and stayed loyal to their beliefs and their loved once. But the soldiers knew this, so they kept them in prison for a long time under harsh conditions. Then, they would set them free, so that the prisoners could taste freedom. But not for long, because they would capture them again a few streets away, and once the recaptured people realized they were going into prison again, it broke them and they would tell their secrets to get out of prison as soon as they could. More than not being able to stand the prison, they could not stand losing their freedom a second time so soon after. Of course, they wouldn't let them, but that is not the point. Everybody can withstand a long period of prison, be it in body or mind, but tasting freedom and opening your heart after such a period makes it emotionally far more taxing to go back, especially when you don't know what is coming and for how long. I think this has also happened to you, in a sense."

Yugi was right. And it was only after this story that I could see my feelings more clearly. I could see a story behind what had happened and it helped me accept my fate better. When he had told me, I realized just how well he understood me, and more importantly, how much he cared for me. I think it was at this moment that I truly fell in love with him. Maybe I had feelings for him before that, but it became crystal clear at that time. After that, I started to crave for more than just talks. I fell in love with his very being. His gentle heart and level of loyalty to his close ones remain a mystery to me. I've never met someone like him and I've never felt anything like this before.

Tonight I was close to kissing him. I wanted to, but I'm too afraid that I'm miscalculating his behaviour. What if he does not reciprocate my feelings? Maybe he was just tired, but I truly hope he wasn't afraid of me. Either way he is too sensitive for his own good, and that is exactly what makes me want to touch him. I want to make him feel things he never even knew possible.

I glanced at the clock; it was past midnight already. I should sleep, but my mind was still too occupied so I decided to calm myself down another half an hour before I could finally lay to rest.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will be published within the next few days.

The story about the capturing and recapturing by soldiers was a tactic the Nazis used in WOII Germany. It is a story I hold close to my heart, because I think the analogy also applies to people who suffer from any kind of addiction or bad relationship.


	2. Chapter 2

\- Chapter 2 -

I want to thank Hikari-Tart with the cute puppy picture in this pre-chapter babbling, because it is actually the very first review I received ever (and I'll respond to you shortly). I was pretty scared it would be negative, but it was so nice it activated my Motivation Card's special effect. Behold its power below.

* * *

 _But for a while, it all made sense_

 _It might have been just a dark pretence_

 _But you had me… and I loved it._

\- Røyksopp, Sordid Affair

* * *

"What's that you say, you want to go to Egypt?" Grandpa asked me in surprise when I asked him about the possibilities that Saturday morning.

"If you'd let us, I think it would be good to let Yami see his home after so long." I explained.

"Hmm, I see."

"I know it's not cheap, but I can probably get most of the money together with a part time job." I said with determination.

Grandpa laid a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me.

"You're a kind person, Yugi. But I don't think it's necessary for you to work for this trip." He said. "I was already planning to go there myself this autumn because I've been asked to give a lecture about my archaeological findings there to transfer my knowledge to the next generation. My plane ticket and hotel will be paid by the University of Caïro. I'll see if I can pull some strings. I don't think it should be a problem. Consider it done."

"Really? That's awesome grandpa!" I said with a bit of disbelief. "You think we can come and hear your lecture too?"

"Of course Yugi. Just don't forget to get the right clothing for the weather conditions. Just because we'll be there in autumn doesn't mean it will be cold. The desert will be 40 degrees Celsius during the day at the very least, and even that is considered a cold day."

"I know Grandpa. Thank you so much!" I did know, he has told me so many times before how hot it was in Egypt.

"I'll let you know more about the trip once I've settled everything." He said. I knew he had to go to watch the game shop.

"You're the best, Grandpa!"

"Hohoho, now that's what I like to hear." He said while walking out of the backroom to the shop.

I didn't know how fast I had to run up the stairs to tell Yami about it. Once I got to his door, I knocked on it. "Yami?"

He didn't answer, maybe he was still asleep, even though it was already eleven. He can be quiet lazy when he gets the chance. Since it was time for him to wake up anyway, I decided to let myself in.

As I expected, he was indeed still sleeping soundly, all rolled up in the covers to his neck up in the heat of summer, even with the sun glowing through the curtains and breaking through them with half the power. I walked over to him and sat on the edge of his bed, trying the soft waking up approach first. He had his head turned to the wall as though to shut out all nuisance.

"Wake up, Yami." I said softly. "Time to face the day."

"Hn." Yami mumbled something. If he wasn't still sleeping, he was at least still half-asleep.

"Come on, Yami. I have news." I said a little louder.

No response. So I shook his shoulder lightly through the blanket. "Yami."

"Hm?"

Was that an answer?

"Are you awake?"

"Why yes." He said with his head still turned to the wall, not moving an inch.

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?!" I said a little agitated.

"I thought I could get a few more minutes."

I sighed. "Are you that tired?"

He sighed too, sitting up straight and running a hand through his hair. The blanket fell off him, revealing his naked torso. A blush crept to my cheeks before I could help it, but it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. Those subtle muscles always got to me, though.

"A little bit." He said, turning his face to me, his eyes sharper due to him just waking up.

"Well, it did get pretty late yesterday." I said.

"You said you had news?" Yami asked. "About what?"

"Right!" I said, suddenly getting my enthusiasm back. "I talked to grandpa this morning. We're going to Egypt this autumn!"

Surprise was written all over his face. "But how?"

"Grandpa was going there anyway to give a lecture. He can get us to go with him!"

Yami smiled. "You're amazing, Yugi. I'm looking forward to it."

I felt so happy I could hardly contain it, because I know how important this is to him.

"Well, don't thank me. Thank Grandpa later." I said.

"I will." He said with a smile.

"Oh, that reminds me." I said. "We need to get the right clothes to stand the heat of the desert. What do you say about going shopping today to get in the mood?"

"Alright." He said. "Sounds like a plan. I just need to get ready."

Without warning, he swatted his blanket aside and got up from his bed. Luckily for me, he was wearing pants. I laughed out loud because they had tiny Kuribohs on them.

"Ah, I take it you like the pants." He smiled at me.

"Hahaha. Of course I do." I continued laughing.

Suddenly, he began stretching himself with his arms raised over his head. I felt my face heating up for the second time that morning and decided that was enough excitement so early in the day.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. Let me know when you're ready." I said before he could take a look at my face properly.

* * *

So it appears we really are going to Egypt. Yugi truly is amazing and a man of his words. I didn't expect him to arrange a trip so soon after his words last night. He is kind and very considerate. I don't even know how I would ever repay his or his grandfathers kindness.

With that said, I am looking forward to the trip, but I have to admit that it also scares me a little. I don't know what I expect to find there. I'm not sure yet how to tell Yugi this, and I certainly don't want him to think that I am ungrateful for his effort to help me with my troubles. But I shouldn't let these thoughts cloud me at the moment since Yugi is so enthusiastic about going clothes shopping. I need to be there for him now, instead of selfishly thinking about myself all the time. I'll deal with it later. Yugi and I are walking through the mall at the moment, and I'll just focus on that for now.

"It looks great on you!" Yugi said. "And it looks comfortable too."

"It is comfortable indeed. And entirely made of linen, the fabric the Egyptians wore to withstand the heat." I said. "I think I'll get this."

"Good choice!" He said as he smiled at me. Sometimes he's too cute for words with that smile of his.

"Are you not getting anything from here?" I said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Hm. I didn't really see anything I liked. Let's go to Kochi's after this. They usually have something that suits me."

"I see." I said, not really knowing any of these stores. I must have been there before, but I never seem to get the hang of all the names of the shops.

When we had paid for my clothes, we went into the so called Kochi store he spoke about earlier, and Yugi almost immediately found several items he liked. I did too after a while, and I wondered why we didn't go into this store first thing.

Well, maybe it was because it was so crowded. Make that a definitely. We surely found out how crowded it was exactly once we stood in line for the fitting rooms, and the line moved so slowly even a snail would be bored by it's speed.

When it was our turn, Yugi turned to me.

"You can go first if you like, you have less items anyway." He said.

"But you'd have to stand in line longer, and I won't know what room you're in when I get out." I said. I heard a cough behind us from one of the inpatient people in line. We had to be faster to decide. Then suddenly I got an idea. "Let's share one."

"Wh-what?" Yugi said a little flustered.

"Come on, it will be easier for us that way." I said as I dragged him in the vacant cubicle, relieving some of everybody's chagrin still standing in line.

The cubicle was obviously not meant for two people and we were standing pretty close together.

"Yami, I'm not sure if this is a good idea." Yugi said to me. "It's kind of cramped in here."

"It seems alright to me." I said as I started to take off my boots with some struggle, but nothing serious. Well, I did have to try my best not to kick him in the process, but I managed just fine.

Yugi seemed to still dislike the idea, but went and took off his boots anyway. "Alright" He sighed, "I guess it's better than standing in line anyway."

When he got to his pants and his shirt, he turned away from me and started unbuttoning his shirt. From behind, I saw his ears were bright red. He was obviously uncomfortable.

"Is this embarrassing for you?" I said, taking off my own shirt.

"Pff, of course not." He said. That's a yes. I know he's uncomfortable, but I like having him here too much to call it off. Besides, I haven't seen him naked, let alone shirtless ever since I got out of the puzzle.

I unbuckled my belt and got out of my pants, then put on some very light weighted pants. They felt so comfortable I could stay in them forever. And they didn't look bad on me either judging from the mirror. I smiled.

"I like these pants." I said. "What do you think?"

I saw Yugi turning around to see me through the mirror. He frowned and blushed almost immediately. I couldn't get my eyes off him. He had such a slim frame and his skin was flawless, just like I remembered.

"Geez Yami, put on a shirt." He said, scratching his head.

"I could tell you the same." I said, not losing my smile. "What do you think?" Ignoring further complaints.

"They eh, look nice on you." Yugi said.

"Thank you." I said, grinning. "I thought so too."

After that, I also quickly put on a shirt. It matched the pants quiet well, which meant I had two sets of clothing. Seems enough. I guess I'm done picking clothes early.

Yugi on the other hand had still not put anything on yet. He had turned away from me again when he had started to remove his pants, and from this angle I could see his bare legs perfectly.

When he had finally managed to put on his clothes, he kept swinging his arms behind his neck.

"There's something not right about this shirt." He said.

"It's probably just the tag, let me see." I said.

Yugi turned around and as I thought, the tag was stuck between his shirt and his neck.

"It is, I'll fix it." I said. I took the tag with one hand and used my other hand to create space between his back and the shirt to tug it in. When I did, I couldn't help but brushing my fingers along his neck just a little bit. His skin felt smooth and warm and I fought the urge to run my fingers along the same line again.

"All set." I said. "Turn around."

He did so and his face was still flushed like before. He looked nice, but it was almost hard to tell if it was because of his flushed face or the clothing.

"You look nice, but I think it looks a little to stuck up with all the buttons done." I said. "Here, let me help." I took a small step forward and started undoing two buttons.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Yugi asked his eyes were big and he looked startled. In response, he took a step back with his left foot, which seemed to land on one of his boots, making him fall backwards.

"Watch out!" I said, and in a reflex, I caught him and pulled him towards me.

Now his and my body were flush against each other. I felt my heart racing and hoped furiously that he couldn't feel it through the thin fabrics we were wearing. We stood there still for a moment, neither of us saying a word. It was only after a few seconds that I realized my leg was between his, and I felt something hard pressing against it. That meant-

"Yugi…" I said.

He pushed himself away from me, and I will never forget the look in his eyes when he met my eyes. It was an expression I couldn't place, but I knew it was not good. I could see tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

"Yugi, it's okay." I said as gently as I could.

"This is so embarrassing." He said, placing a hand in front of his eyes. "I can't believe this."

"Don't feel bad Yugi," I said, trying to comfort him. "I'm a man too, I know it sometimes just happens without a reason."

He turned away from me again and started to undo his shirt.

"Right." He said. "Let's get out of here."

Now I felt bad too, it must be because I was too rash. We'd better get out of here and do something else. Maybe it will cheer him up, but I'll try talking to him later on when he's not feeling as bad. I hurt him, and I should really watch what I'm doing more closely.

After we coincidentally met up with Anzu, Jounouchi and Honda on our way back home and went to an arcade, I finally started to feel a little bit better. I still didn't look Yami directly in the eye the rest of the afternoon, and maybe that was for the better. I need to get it out of my head. I could hardly help feeling so bad, even though I tried to console myself with the thought that Yami didn't feel disgusted and that he even tried to comfort me when I felt bad. Over the last few hours, that seemed to help a little bit.

In fact, I felt so bad that I was extra motivated to immerse myself into games like Tekken. And when I played against Jounouchi, I didn't let him win a single match. I still lost a race game against Yami, but being king of games, he has a title to hold up anyway. He wouldn't let me win out of pity and I'm glad he didn't.

We ate burgers at Burgerworld afterwards, and it turned out to be a very lively dinner.

"Still Yuug, ya totally creamed me today!" Jounouchi said in defeat.

"I've just been playing a little longer than you Jou." I said.

"Yeah, Jou, better practice a little more." Honda said to tease him.

"By the way," Anzu started, trying to change the conversation since we had been talking about games non stop. "What were you two doing at the mall anyway?"

"We were buying some clothes for our trip this autumn." I said.

"Oh? Where ya goin' Yuug?" Jounouchi asked.

"We're going to Egypt. My grandfather is arranging the trip."

"To Egypt huh." Anzu said pondering. "I bet you want to see it after so long, don't you Yami?"

"Yes, I do. Yugi and his grandfather are very kind to give me the opportunity." Yami said.

"I bet. I guess Yugi's grandfather has a lot of connections in Egypt since he was an archaeologist there." She said. "Any ideas of what you're going to see?"

"I bet we're at least going to visit the Valley of the Kings, since that is where Grandpa did most of his excavations. But from there on, we'll probably just see what comes up." I said.

"Woah, that's so cool." Jounouchi said. "Valley of da Kings."

"Cool? When you say it, it sounds more like an album from Valley of da Hood, Jou." Honda teased Jounouchi.

"Shaddup Honda." He said, stealing a fry from the brunette's plate.

"Hey that's mine!" Honda said in vain as Jounouchi put it in his mouth.

"Sorry, you gotta pay for your sorry comment right there." Jounouchi said while loudly smacking on his fry to annoy Honda.

"Boys." Anzu said sternly with a sigh. "Anyway, it sounds like a big thing. Be sure to tell me how it was when you get back." She said more calmly to us.

"We sure will." I said.

Walking home, Yami was occupied talking to Jounouchi about their game matches to come while I was walking behind them with Anzu. It was already getting pretty late, it must be around ten since it was getting dark.

"Yugi." Anzu said.

"Yes Anzu?" I asked.

"You really love him, don't you." It was more a statement than a question.

"Wh-what?" I asked in surprise. How did she know?

"Relax." She said. "I don't think the rest noticed. But you stare at him an awful lot you know."

"I see…"

"It's really nice of you what you're doing, Yugi." Anzu continued. "You take him into consideration all the time. He'd be a fool if he didn't love you back."

"That's really nice of you to say Anzu." I said.

"Does he know?" She asked.

"No. I haven't told him."

"Are you planning to?"

"I don't know if it's that simple. If he doesn't feel the same way, I might lose him."

"I see what you mean." She said. "Maybe that's true, but I think it's unlikely. You two would probably find a way around it, and besides, not being able to tell your feelings can be equally painful."

"You have a point there Anzu."

"Hehe, thanks." She said. "Tell me when you first started feeling this way."

And so I told someone for the very first time how I truly felt, and I understood once more the true value of friendship. It was as though a huge weight fell of my shoulders and the worst case scenarios I had kept playing over and over in my head were exaggerated. I realized that even if things wouldn't work out, I would never be alone. And as I looked over at Yami again, I know that he wouldn't be either.

* * *

 **Author's notes:**

Eleven in the morning seemed like a reasonable time for an odd shop to open on a Saturday.

Also, I don't want to make Yami or Yugi too perfect. It would get boring to write anyway. And I have to admit that I like a bit of attitude.

Anyway, I realize this chapter was a little less about the inner workings of both parties and a tad more... you know what I mean. But I think it's nice to mix it up a little. Also, I realized there were a few spelling mistakes in the previous chapter, and there probably will be some in this one too. Notice how I spelled "too" with two o's. Notice it senpai.

Furthermore, I already got a bit more typed out, but I think I'll keep that card face-down until the next chapter. It will be up next weekend. I would prefer it sooner but I've got a busy week coming up.

Thank you for reading so far and have a nice week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning:** this chapter is R rated due to sexy times. But as I said before, if you don't like that kind of stuff you shouldn't read this story. But of course this warning comes as a welcome message to most readers.

This chapter has become like this because I felt like it.

I know I said I would update the next chapter somewhere this weekend, but I felt motivated to write tonight even though I'm a bit tired (cough – exhausted - cough) from work. Sometimes, there are people out there who just give you the energy and motivation to do stuff anyway.

* * *

\- Chapter 3 -

 _I lift you off the earth mundane and glum,  
Out the solar system where you passed the sun,  
'Til all the fear in your heart is gone,  
_ _and so on..._

\- Faithless, Take the Long Way Home

* * *

I've always been pretty short, shy, a little naïve. And as you can guess, it hasn't been easy on me either. I've been bullied so many times I lost count. However much I dislike to think of it, I think that is one of the things that initially drew Yami to me. It took me a long time to realize he was not there for me to protect me, but to teach me how to stand my ground.

At first it was just an abstract idea to me. I knew it before, but it would never reach my heart, like with many things really. But once I experienced it myself I started to feel that it was the most single important thing in the world: if you trust yourself, you can get through anything. I owe Yami this lesson, the one lesson that has saved me from being miserable for the rest of my life. Or at least for a long time, because I don't know if I could have learned it so fast on my own.

Believing in yourself does not mean you can't rely on anybody. And it's certainly not a trick to obliterate feelings when they get on your path. It just means that there is something within which you can always return to, and makes you get through the hardest of times.

Unfortunately for me, love amplifies every feeling I have and this is yet another challenge for me. It challenges my idea of trusting in myself, because the extremes of good and bad feelings can make moments seem like eternity, make it seem like I will never get over them. When I feel great, it can be euphoric and when I feel down, it can feel devastating. And right now, I feel that devastating bad feeling.

Because, well, let's face the fact: I practically rubbed my hard on against Yami's leg.

…

Oh man, just thinking back on it makes me almost die from embarrassment.

Of course tonight has been somewhat of a relief, it was fun and it certainly took an edge off, but now that I'm home the feeling washes over me anew. It won't let me escape, I have to deal with it. Yami is taking a shower now that I've finished mine, and I have a feeling we've got to talk about the whole thing, or the feeling would linger on. Both options – talking and not talking – leave a bad taste in my mouth, but I rationally know it's smarter to talk about it in the long run. It just takes some courage to do so. The night isn't exactly young, and I would like to get over with it before the day ends. Problems get harder to talk about every time you neglect to do it anyway. So it has to be after Yami's shower.

I guess I was still in denial of time passing by until the dreaded talk, but I can hear the bathroom door opening with a creak and closing, signalling he was done showering. Then I heard a knock on my door. It seems he has the same feeling. I have no idea if I should be completely honest with him and confess my feelings. Is there even a way around it?

"Come in." I said.

The door opened to reveal the freshly showered handsome young man, and I felt my courage leaving me a little, but I had to stay strong.

"Yugi." He said. "Is it okay if we talk?"

"Of course it is." I said, sitting up straight on the edge of my bed. He came over and sat down next to me. We sat there for a moment, neither of us saying anything. I guess we both didn't know how to start the conversation. The single lit lamp on my desk seemed to wait patiently for someone to say something.

"I know you felt very bad today." Yami said.

"Yeah." I said. "I'm sorry if I made you feel bad too."

"The only thing that made me feel bad today was the fact that you seemed to be troubled." He said.

"Thank you." I said softly, fidgeting a little. I can't help it; I always do it when I'm stressed. It gives me this comforting fixation, as though it's a small entity that is my companion for the time being.

It was silent again, not the comfortable type like usual. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. I swallowed hard before I got my worry of my chest. We were both looking in front of us, not at each other. It felt appropriate or at least more manageable that way.

"Say Yami." I said.

"Yes?"

"You're not… I mean," _Come on Yugi._ "are you disgusted with me?" I asked. There. I said it.

"I'm not." Yami said. He paused a second and then continued. "But I can't help wondering what caused your situation."

It's because I'm in love with you. It's because you're sexy. It's because you show off your body all the time. I can't help myself.

"Maybe it was the close contact." I said softly. Well, at least it wasn't a lie.

"Does that mean… it was because of me?" Yami asked me. I could tell he was looking at me from the corner of my eye. Shit, what now? I clenched my fists, not knowing what to answer.

"Yugi?" He asked.

"Would _that_ disgust you then?" I whispered, looking away even more, so that I could not even see a vague image of his expressions. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, because I must have screwed this up big time. With every second that passed between us, I felt my heart drop a mile. Now he definitely knows that I'm attracted to him, or he'd be really dense. But I know he's not. He has the wisdom of many lifetimes at his side.

"No." I heard him saying. "Would it disgust you if I told you the same?" He asked.

I felt my eyes went wide in shock as I turned my head to look at him.

No way.

"No." I said, it could have had a rhythmic drum to it, since my heart was beating so loud it wouldn't surprise me if it got a voice of its own.

Yami moved closer to me, putting a hand next to my hip. His eyes were the liveliest thing I had ever seen, as though it was the only thing catching the dim light in my room, purple shining like amethyst marbles. His face was closing in on mine when he asked, "Is it okay?"

I was lost for words, so I only nodded, and that seemed to have been enough for Yami as he closed the gap between us. The kiss was passionate and hot the moment it began, as Yami immediately put his tongue in my mouth, exploring my mouth with fever. Before I knew it, I felt my back touch the the covers and his hands underneath my head and on my side. He placed his knees next to my legs, hovering above me, capturing me mentally and physically. I felt light headed and amazing, and I couldn't hold back a moan which was lost in his mouth. Grabbing the fabric on his back with both my hands, I pulled him closer, let him know I wanted him, ushered him to continue. I wanted more, way more. It could hardly be true, but I felt like I've never wanted anything as much in life.

He must have gotten my message right, because he started to caress my side through my shirt, pulling it up ever so slightly when he moved upwards…

* * *

I can't believe this is really happening. Yugi is moaning underneath me, I'm the one making him feel this way. I just love how the small touches make him writhe, and I'm not even touching him bare yet. It also makes me want to tease him more, surprise him, take him away.

As I kept caressing his side, I felt the rim of his shirt had moved up considerable, so I took my chance. I slowed my movements a little so that I was sure he would pay attention to my touch instead of the kiss, and then pressed my thumb against his abdomen, next to his hipbone, caressing his soft skin with a circling motion, slowly and demanding attention.

He broke away from the kiss and moaned my name, but he immediately put a hand over his mouth afterwards, trying to silence himself. He was trembling and breathing heavily. I have to admit it made me feel really proud that I had this effect on him, I felt it made me burn inside with a certain uncontainable passion and grin found its way to my face as I leaned in to his ear.

"At least now I know what truly makes you tremble." I whispered, just before I took his earlobe in my mouth and started to suck on it, eliciting yet another sweet moan.

He kept on making those muffled sounds behind his hand when I moved downwards to kiss and softly bite on his neck. I made sure none of my movements were too hasty. Every move had to be felt, taken into consideration as though they were sentences that had to be heard. And the more I spoke, the more he reacted, and the more he reacted, the more I felt a pressure building up inside of me until the point that I needed to feel more of him.

I stopped caressing him slowly, kissed him again and put my hand underneath his shirt in one movement, placing my thumb on his ribs and my other fingers on his back, squeezing and pushing him deeper into the matrass, kissing him as deep as I did before.

He broke away quite soon to catch his breath with a loud gasp. "Yami, what are you doing to me?" His question and that hazy look in his eyes broke my cool, unveiled the lurking beasty desire that lay underneath all my actions.

"To you?" I said with fake indignation. "By god, you have no idea what you make of me."

Without thinking about it, feeling that it was the right moment, I slid the hand that was on his side underneath his hips, and pushed him up, as I moved my hips down on his, creating a godly friction that send hormones flying through my body as a swarm of bees. In fact, it felt so good that I had to repeat it, and with every thrust I got a taste for more. The combination of our hips rubbing together and the way he moved underneath me almost made me unable to stop. He moved his hips within the rhythm of my hand now, but this power urge inside me made me pull him closer just a microsecond earlier than he would expect me to. I wanted to keep controlling him, teasing him. I knew he understood what I was doing and that the pleading I heard from him were his answers.

He wanted more, and I was more than willing to give it to him. I stopped abruptly, freeing my hand underneath him and cupped him, continuing to rub him with my hand. I could define the hardness and form of his erection very well because of the soft pants he wore. The tip had made a wet stain on the fabric and it was straining against it, pleading to be freed.

I looked up to calculate Yugi better and to see what expression he was making. I noticed he was biting down on his finger and his eyelids were fluttering. It made sense that he was trying to muffle himself, but I knew it wasn't just because grandpa was sleeping two rooms away. It must also be because things were happening fast, and every reaction was held on by string of uncertainty felt towards the other.

"Yugi." I said to reassure him and myself and to let him know I was still mentally involved. "I know I'm moving fast. Is it alright?"

"Yami…" He said. "Y-yes. What you're doing- it feels really good." He said innocently. But I know he's less innocent than he lets on.

"You mean this?" I said as I squeezed the base of his erection with my palm and moved upwards. I mean hey, I let him know I'm there, now I'm back to business.

"Hnnn!" He moaned between his teeth, squeezing the sheets beside him with both his hands as he arched his back.

Lovely.

I stopped rubbing him and placed both my hands on his hips, moving my thumbs just next to both sides of his hard on and leaned over to bite down on his hipbone, scraping over it with my teeth softly and licking alongside it. He bucked his hips in response and I couldn't help but smile.

I stopped all ministrations momentarily to relieve him off his shirt. As I held the shirt in my hand, I looked down to let his figure sink in. He was skinny and petite, but the shine and colour of his skin betrayed his health. A flawless subtle curve marked the transition from his stomach to his chest.

"Y-you're staring." He said.

"I can't?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's embarrassing." He said.

"I don't think so." I said, grinning. Of course he meant it was embarrassing from him, but it's always fun to tease him.

"C-can you eh, take yours off too?" He asked.

"Of course." I said. I didn't hesitate to take my shirt off with a bit flair. I knew I was flaunting, but nobody ever said it was forbidden to try and impress the one you like.

"Better?" I asked, placing one hand on his stomach, showing that I was ready to continue.

"Wait." He said as he sat up a little. "Please."

I didn't know immediately what he meant, but got it once I felt his small fingers running down from my chest to my hips. I closed my eyes to the feeling and sighed in content. I felt my heart was beating faster, and I almost shivered from the touch.

"I want to touch you too." He said, and after a few caresses, he moved down and cupped my erection like I did his, moving his hands slowly at first. I felt the urge to push my hips forward, but resisted to do so. I wanted to know exactly what he planned to do.

As he was going along, he pulled my pants and my underwear down, bringing my cock in contact with the heated air around us. Then he took hold of me again. He sped up his pace slowly, and before I knew it he was pumping me with quite some force, taking into consideration the whole length in the process by moving up from the very base to the very tip and down again.

I bit down a moan and felt the tension built up inside me again. Suddenly, sitting up was proving a task, so I tried to steady myself by leaning on both my arms. If he didn't stop soon, I would definitely cum.

"Yami," he said. "You're really handsome."

And then he kissed me, but that was a mistake, because in the moment he dropped his guard, I took the opportunity to take control of the kiss and pushed him down again. Running my hand down from his chest to the rim of his pants, tugging on it, then using my other hand too in order to pull down his pants and his underwear in one go.

"Now we're equal." I said. Then I took his erection in my hand and pumped him slowly.

"Ah, Yami, I-" He said, but he was never able to finish his sentence. I brought down my own erection against his, and took both of us in my hand, rubbing our cocks together. Words were replaced by moans which had to be placed on the highest scale of his voice.

The sensation was indescribable as our skin was finally touching. Along with our opposing movements of our hips, I moved my hand to add yet more friction. I made sure to move lavishly, bucking harder with each thrust. I leaned down, seeking stability on my elbow as I put both our bodies flush against each other. I slid my hand under his head once more and kissed him again, moving my tongue inside his mouth in rhythm with our thrusts.

"Y- ah! Y-yami," He said as he broke free suddenly. "Stop, I'm going- to-"

"Then come." I said, thrusting in a long movement to emphasize my point.

And then, after a few more thrusts, he shivered intensely as he came, and after a few more moves, I came too.

But with that, not all was done. We kept going, kept touching each other until late at night, maybe early in the morning, I don't know and I couldn't care less about the time. It was as though we never got enough of each other. And I knew that when I'd look back on it later, I'd realize it was one of the most amazing moments in my whole life.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

And what a lengthy piece it is. I wish my real sex life was a good as it was in my head. I'd type a "haha" to hide my embarrassment, but I remembered that I don't need to be embarrassed in anonymous mode, so I'll shrug my shoulders until they fall off. I was just grinning the whole time I wrote this chapter, makes me feel so badass. Hope it came across.

There's much more I could have written, but you know what they say: don't spend it all in one place. Next chapter is going to be all fluffy and philosophical, I can just feel it.


	4. Chapter 4

My appointment for the evening was cancelled, so I lucked out, I was able to write another chapter. Thank you, Pharaohs Girl18, for your nice review. I will certainly continue this story until I feel it's finished. Special thanks goes out to Hikari_Tart, once again for giving me the motivation to write on and ensuring me it's a good read. I hope this chapter is too, even though it's once again much different from the last.

* * *

\- Chapter 4 -

 _All the subtle flavours of my life I become,_

 _Bitter seeds and poisoned leafs without you._

 _You represent what's true._

 _I dream the colour from the sky_

 _and turn blue without you._

\- Faithless, We Come One

* * *

Getting to Egypt with Yami and Grandpa had proven to be a little bit funny. The airport, its traffic, rules and the various steps you had to take to get on the plane confused Yami and it was certainly a little funny to see the great former Pharaoh of Egypt, with thousands of years of life experience not understanding how he had to put his passport on the machine for identification. He also worried tremendously about his stuff disappearing after laying it down on the conveyor belt, not knowing where it was going and how it would get to Egypt with us.

During the flight, grandpa and Yami had great discussions about the Ancient Egyptian world. I'm really glad grandpa doesn't see Yami as a thread to his highly esteemed expertise. He is a true enthusiast after all, and this trip has given the both of them an opening to talk to each other more about their shared interest. Yami had a lot of interest in what Grandpa had found in all his years, how things were like, what remained, and what happened after his death according to history.

We arrived in Cairo pretty late, and it had already gotten very dark and a little chilly. We dumped our luggage at our rooms and went for a drink on the terrace, getting a bit of rest and calm before we were going to sleep. It felt like a little opening for our trip.

I don't think Grandpa realizes what he did by putting us two together in one hotel room, because the moment we were alone, Yami initiated intimacy, saying that he had had to hold back the rest of the day already. And let's be honest, who am I to deny him?

* * *

We went to the Valley of the Kings with a sort of open bus, or more like a train of carts pulling us. It was about forty-two degrees, or so grandpa said, and the sun was scorching the desert as though it was trying to say that no living being would be granted mercy. When we got out, I felt the harsh sting of the star I've been connected to as a pharaoh. It was the star we worhsipped like nothing else. It had seemed silly to me over the years, since I hadn't felt its great power in so long. But this demanding kind of sun, the one that takes up the focal point of every point in the desert, would let every visitor know in who's mercy they were.

The group was taking some time to assemble and people were talking to each other about the heat. Before me I saw great heaps of yellow sand and rocks, and the entrances to all the tombs. It was strange to see them this way, since they were never meant to be open, let alone all at once. My first instinct told me that the sacred tombs were left too bare, like naked priests, with their open entrances, stripped from the decency they were granted thousands of years ago. These places are not meant to visit lightly, if ever visited at all. The vision, unlike I expected, filled me with a strange kind of anger instead of the curiosity I had expected to feel. But I decided to keep it on the background for now, since I felt I couldn't afford to let these feelings take over now.

Suddenly, an overwhelming feeling overcame me. A vision of an impossible desire to stare at the sun in eternity, to lay in the vastness of the desert and it's devastating silence, only to hear the rays of the sun scream in a tranquil continuation for eternity. And I almost got mad at the people chattering a bit further away from us, unaware of the spirituality of this land as it lay right in front of them.

"Wow, it's really hot." Yugi said. Strangely, that comment seemed to bring me back in a good mood again. "You don't seem to mind much."

"Yes, it's strange how homely it is now that I feel it again." I said, feeling that this was true too. I should try to focus on these feelings more.

"That's amazing." Yugi said to me. I resisted the urge to take his hand, to take the only person that made me feel like I was not alone to help me through this journey. It felt like he was the only link between the old world and this world to keep me in reality.

"Oh, we're moving." Yugi said as he saw the group starting to slowly walk towards the valley.

During the lecture grandpa gave us I decided not to speak a word. I have to be careful of what I say amidst all these unknowing people. He told them nothing I didn't know before, but what interested me were the pictures he showed us on pieces of paper. The time at which these pictures were taken… The valley looked as it was supposed to. On it one could see the emptiness that complimented the meaning of the place.

What made me laugh a bit was a picture of the inside of my tomb just after opening it. It was obvious that grave robbers had gotten there before, even though my tomb was built in this place and not in a pyramid to prevent grave robbers from getting in. Priest Seto had debated long and hard with everybody to make this change in architecture and location happen back then. I also remember telling him that it didn't matter, that it probably would be robbed eventually anyway, but he insisted. It's funny to see that I was right.

After what seemed a good amount of introduction, we went into my tomb through the rectangular entrance. The hall connected to the entranced turned steep down the moment we were inside and it went down a long way. Time had taken its toll on the inscriptions on the wall, on which I could still make out some of the described festivities. A lot of it had crumbled down, and the rich colours that had once adorned the place in a lively lustre had faded like a crippled elder. After a while, going to either the right or the left led to small chambers that were meant as themed rooms for the perspective various gods had on the afterlife.

It felt very strange to visit my own tomb, as though I was on my own death visit, in a realm that was meant for a different me, a me that was meant to die a long time ago. At the same time, I could hardly control my laughter. Yugi seemed unable to contain himself. His eyes were big and he was staring at every inch of the wall, as though he was trying to absorb all the information presented to him.

"I wish I could read it all." He said, awe apparent in his voice. "It's beautiful."

"You don't have to." I said. "I can tell you most of what they've written down. After all, I was involved in the process of making my tomb. But I agree, it is beautiful."

"Right…" He said, looking at me in awe. "Of course you were."

After a moment, he continued.

"Yami, it may sound strange but… it's as though I'm visiting your room." He said, looking at me with such big eyes I could hardly resist him. "I'm so glad I'm here with you."

I smiled at him. "Me too."

He truly is a god send good person. I wanted to tell him everything, right here and now, but I also felt that it wasn't appropriate. I wish we had more time on our own instead of visiting my grave with all these other people.

When we arrived at my where my sarcophagus was supposed to be, there was an empty room. I felt it was so befitting that I was empty, since I wasn't dead anyway. It was however strange to see the place where the puzzle had obviously been stored for all those years I was trapped. The place seemed so unbelievable small and insignificant compared to the spatial emptiness inside the millennium puzzle. As though somebody told me that my experiences were just this tiny spot. And when just seeing it from the physical boundaries alone, it seemed like it was trying to tell me that everything was just an illusion, just a horrible joke.

Yugi was thrilled to see the spot where his grandfather and Arthur had found the puzzle and kept asking his grandfather how exactly it had been trapped inside the walls, and how they discovered it was there. I thought I'd be a little bit more thrilled too, but I realized I was not standing in my grave, I was standing in my lost prison. And as I thought of that, I wondered if it honestly was a good idea to be here.

When the others went to see the other graves, I told grandpa and Yugi I wanted to stay here for a little longer instead. Yugi of course, stayed with me, but grandpa had to leave to escort the students.

"What's up Yami?" Yugi asked once the rest had certainly left the tomb.

"I just wanted to stay a little longer here to say goodbye." I said.

"Say goodbye?" Yugi asked.

"To my prison." I said. "I don't know exactly how to explain this to you but, it is strange to me to see this space as a living human being. Even though I'm inside my prison, I stand here in this space as a free man now that I'm not trapped in a box."

"I see." Yugi said. "This is your prison…" He took a look around the room as though he was seeing it with new eyes. I saw in his face that he understood the gravity of my message.

"I've been meaning to ask." Yugi suddenly said, turning to me. I could see he was a little nervous. "You were trapped in that box for so long… I wondered if you still felt trapped when we met."

"To answer that question directly, I think I did a little bit, but you have to understand one thing, Yugi. The most important thing. Our time together when I was still in the Millenium Puzzle is what freed my mind, even though my spirit was still trapped. That period was the reason why I wished for a new life in the first place." I said. "In a sense of course it was still a prison to me, but like one can with any space, I started to call it home after a while. And our time together was nothing like the numbing prison I had felt here. I can't say I can compare the two."

"The longer I know you, the more I understand about your imprisonment." Yugi said. "I wish I could have taken some of it away from you."

For that comment, I just had to kiss him. "You already did." I said after our kiss ended. "Let's leave, I feel that I've stayed here long enough."

He smiled at me and my promising words and followed me out of the tomb. I felt a little sad to leave, not knowing exactly why, and so I dismissed the feeling. It already felt a little better when we stepped outside in the blazing sun anyway, as though the blinding light washed away any left over stuffy atmosphere that could have otherwise lingered.

Nothing what we experienced in the Valley of the King prepared me for the crowd around the pyramids that we visited next after another long trip. I remember these pyramids from my youth, but then with the bright white glow that originally covered them. But the view before me now was completely different. I saw people with camera's on places where houses had been, I saw people taking pictures on the stones that were so expertly carved on nearby quarries, and people trying to get a piece of stones to take home with them, of which its perfect form I can still hear being made by the clang of a chisel.

I walked around, but felt confused by all the people not paying attention to anybody else.

What is this chaos I find myself in now?

What is wrong with me?

What is it that keeps bothering me?

* * *

During the day, I kept feeling there was something off about Yami, as though something was building up. An atmosphere that kept getting thicker and thicker, until it blurred the reality of the events completely, comparable to trying to speak and listen underwater. I guess it started to really dawn to me the moment we arrived at the pyramids, and he had been awfully quiet during dinner. I had kept looking at Yami, looking for clues in his face, in his speech as to what that was. I knew something had been off, yet I certainly didn't expect this to happen.

As soon as we got into our room, Yami walked over to the bed, sat down immediately and had stayed completely still. I knew he had started to cry and that this wasn't a light issue. Maybe it was all a bit too much for him to take. It felt horrible to see him this way.

"Yami…" I said, sitting down next to him. "What's wrong?"

He held his hand before his eyes and I could tell he was trying not to make a sound. Without the tears revealing themselves down his hand, one might have been fooled he was just having a headache. He didn't answer me immediately, and instead kept quiet for a moment. Of course that was okay, and I wanted to give him all the space he wanted.

"I'm sorry Yugi." He said. "You did so much to get me here."

Those words stung me like a bee. Of course, he probably had felt obligated to react in a certain way because he felt he was in debt to me and Grandpa.

"Don't be." I said. "This is important to you, and you should feel the freedom to feel any way you do. That's the reason why we are here, and nothing else. What I feel is not important right now, please tell me what's wrong, Yami."

"It's just that…" He said, clenching his jaws. "Everything is gone." He added, biting the words down as though they were sour bites from an apple he eventually had to take. I laid my hand on his leg to let him know I was there for him.

"I don't know what I expected." He said. "It's been so long, it's not even real anymore. All my hopes and dreams, I can still feel them, but they mean nothing. There is nothing left to resolve."

"This world I remember," He continued, now removing his hand in front of his eyes, revealing an expression I had never seen on him before "Has been stripped of its dignity."

More tears streamed down his face.

"And the religion I strongly feel for has no right to exist, even though people claim they love it." He looked up at the slim line that was left between the closed curtains, squinting his eyes slightly as though in pain.

"I guess I expected to see home once more, but everything that made it home has left the place dead."

The contrast between his words and the silence before and after them was so strong that the emptiness of that silence seemed to bear a deafening sound.

"It's as if…" He paused, looking for words. "the world has changed so much that my memories have no right to exist."

It struck me hard then. This is why people die. The overwhelming sadness Yami felt at this precise moment was not meant for any human to grasp.

"I am so sorry," I said, "that you probably feel all alone in this sadness." I felt powerless and there was a lump in my throat.

"Osiris had forbidden it." Yami said. "I was naïve."

I don't know if it was to comfort him or myself, but I squeezed his leg with my hand.

"I know he must have felt that you were so strong that you were one of the few who could take it." I said. "But somehow that makes me even more sad."

"I'm so glad you're here, Yugi." He said, turning to me with still glistening eyes and a sad expression. "You make me feel not as lost."

"I'm glad you feel that way." I said and I just had to hug him, so I squeezed him tightly to me. "I hope you'll never feel alone again."

It's funny how a month ago this intimacy felt so unreachable, as it feels so natural now.

We stayed like that for a while, and after what seemed like hours, we slowly turned in to bed, still hugging each other close as if our physical contact could dismiss the cruelty that underlies every piece of passing time. I guess that is what love is eventually. To not be alone in that essential fear of being human.

* * *

 **Author's Notes:**

Well, no lemon this time. I hope this chapter is a bit readable. I'm very much aware I didn't write much about their new relationship, but there's a limit to how much sappiness I can take in one go.

I am however thinking of writing another story in which that will be more of an interesting theme, thinking along the lines of another YugixYami and a KaibaxKatsuya. Also, next chapter I will probably write another lemony bit, because they haven't had real sex yet. Giggles are appropriate. But yeah, as much as I'm thrilled to write it, I'd better go off to sleep now.


End file.
